The saccharin of exploiters is now bitter

Commonsense comes from knowledge and law

I think since I have gladly offered to let sleeping dogs sleep (where they are not supposed to sleep) and move on, people will let me rest. I DO NOT wish to meet with our brother and friend (Hon. Godfrey Gaiya) on this matter. People should please let me be. Those financially benefitting from the same moves should go on and enjoy their loot.

On the legal suit, I have voluntarily succumbed to words of elders (either by age or by the positions they hold), especially some colleagues and the FCT SWAN to let the matter die.

However, like Dr. Azikiwe told the Oyi of Oyi in 1982, “except if it not the tradition of our people that elders are roundly lied against and insulted by young men of the world, as I have been unjustly treated in this matter, the reign of the lier will come to an abrupt and shattering end. None of my words on this matter will not come to pass.

I shall NOT squint on this matter again.

DR. NNAMDI AZIKIWE TO DR. CHUBA OKADIGBO (1981):

"My boy, may you live to your full potential, ascend to a dizzy height as is possible for anyone of your political description in your era to rise. May you be acknowledged world-wide as you rise as an eagle atop trees, float among the clouds, preside over the affairs of fellow men.... as leaders of all countries pour into Nigeria to breathe into her ear.

But then, Chuba, if it is not the tradition of our people that elders are roundly insulted by young men of the world, as you have unjustly done to me, may your reign come to an abrupt and shattering close. As you look ahead, Chuba, as you see the horizon, dedicating a great marble palace that is the envy of the world, toasted by the most powerful men in the land, may the great big hand snatch it away from you. Just as you look forward to hosting the world’s most powerful leader and shaking his hands, as you begin to smell the recognition and leadership of the Igbo people, may the crown fall off your head and your political head fall off your shoulders.

None of my words will come to pass, Chuba, until you have risen to the very height of your power and glory and health, but then you will be hounded and humiliated and disgraced out of office, your credibility and your name in tatters forever...”

The Eagle confessed to Karma’s kept promises

Akpabio...The Karma and promise keeper

His name is Phillip Edwin-Mugisha but is better known in the world of Scrabble as “The Phenomenon”. Just like our own version of The Nemesis, read what positive values his impression is about our dear Nigeria all courtesy of “The Karma of development” whose people call the “The Promise Keeper”

“The epochal moment in the History of the game has arrived. The Eagle flew in and was treated like a King. Incredible hospitality displayed by the Nigerians and I have to single out Charles Osadolor, his cute little 'uns Doreen and Daniel and his better-half, appropriately named SUCCESS.
Nigeria by the numbers is an astonishing tale. Lagos is a mega-city of 16 million. That's half the population of Uganda. There are 100 000 students at Lagos University. Kenyan Nic Mbugua was saying that's the entire University population of Kenya.

Nigeria, Nigeria! With its forests of swaying palm trees, its magical winding rivers seen from the air, its infrastructure, its energetic positive vibe, its exotic cuisine and over-achieving people, I have fallen in love with you! Nigeria, Nigeria.

The opulence of the venue organized by Chief Toke Aka at the Le Meridien Hotel and Golf Resort, left the face of the game stunned. The British wonder-kinder Austin Shin is here. I ran into Sulaiman Gora, the Number One Fan, not to be confused with Julian McKail, the Die Hard 1.
Pakorn was stalking the halls in a good mood. The Thai Architect turned Zoologist has been staring fascinated at the geckos climbing the walls of his room.I bumped into the jovial Anthony Ikolo. Sam Kantimathi told me to my face that he is "light years ahead of me." I humbly suggest Las Vegas contains not just gambling fever, but another kind of fever as well, a fever of delusion and chronic self-hypnosis.

Let's hope Sam doesn't infect us all!

A frown here for you my fellow cultured player. While its true that the 5-star Le Meridien had a gaggle of Scrabblers playing at the reception I also couldn't help noticing some shabby-looking members of Australopithecus Afarensis. The chess and drafts players are also in town!

Scrabble: showcase the magic of Akwa-Ibom

It was the wise one who postulated that education comes one-forth from others, one-forth from experience, one-forth from travel and one-forth from the classrooms.

Pakorn of Thailand schooled in 'eba'

If his thought looks original and true (which I believe) it means that any time we travel becomes an opportunity to broaden our knowledge about the world and its peoples.

I have been to 35 states of Nigeria (as a journalist and athlete), the only two states I have not visited in my country are Akwa-Ibom and Bayelsa. In terms of progress and development, as I landed at the airport, I was not convinced. Along the long road to the heart of Uyo, I was searching for potholes, I tried to even get one, I could not.

The windy road to the Le Meridien was also not meeting my expectations. I volunteered to Kayode Adeniyi (of NTA) my views. I did not know he was nursing the same thought inside him. He had been here twice on journalistic calling but added, “value has been tremendously added by the current administration.”

Uyo welcomes parade of Scrabble afficionados

This experience is many times magnified when we ventured into the crannies of Uyo all because I wanted to be convinced that the Governor only did some parts and left some. Never knew his ordinary citizens would appreciate him the way they did in my several independent interviews.

As guest of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), I have for different reasons missed the last six invitations to attend the Godswill Akpabio International Scrabble championship, the world’s highest prized event in the board game.

No wonder, the NSF has acquired the most effective and efficient sports federation in Nigeria (in terms of activities and delivery both at the Continental and world stages). No sports federation nears their number of championships per annum nor the cash value attached to their prizes. I stand to be corrected.

As marks that the championship is gathering bigger dust, former world champion, Pakorn on arrival from Thailand savoured the thick air of Lagos on his way to Uyo. Veteran Jalani Naphtani and Fidelis Olotu came from United Kingdom. Sammy Okosagha strolled in like a feline last year to beat everybody and pranced back to the United Kingdom.

Aero Contractors: A thieving Nigerian airline

I have had the privilege of reporting how Nigerian airlines steal from Nigerians. I experienced it. Dateline is 26^th September 2012. Destination is Uyo, Akwa-Ibom state. Ticket booked and paid for. Error was that the flight for the 26^th was mistakenly booked for the 27^th. Changing the flight to the 26^th was ordinarily supposed to cost N3,000:00. The airline demanded for N8,000:00.

Thought that was all. Aero Contractors is a good example of Nigeria’s thieving airline and service robbers. Within a span of one hour, the same airline offered passengers the same services for three different prices exploiting clients in a manner that is better to be robbed at gun point than how it was being done.

Some passengers who had been so fleeced in the past said: “we are getting used to their official thieving culture.

I recall how Dana Air also stole my money last year. Someone booked for a friend to travel to Eket via Uyo. At the airport, we were told her name was not on the list. I paid another fare. In Uyo, it was double checked and found the airline erred.

I wrote for a refund with all the evidences. The great corporate thieves till today are yet to refund my money.

We do not have a government. No wonder Arik like many other airlines in their dubious ways killed innocent lives of our loved ones by filling the flying machines with adulterated fuel. 

Contempt: Anyim, Sports Minister, Maigari, others in court

SGF Anyim Pius Anyim

Contrary to the prescriptions and what the Nigerian public had been made to believe that all legal matters in the administration of football had been settled, we are back in the court room.

This time around, the National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) at a Federal High Court, Abuja has filed contempt proceedings against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of Sports, the Director General of the Federal Ministry of Sports, the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari and 33 others.

The NANF in its matter, NANF vs. AGF and 5 others in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/86/2012  went on to file the fresh twist through its counsel, Belo Aideloje Esq.,. 

The contempt proceedings is hinged on incessant violations of two previous judgements, processes and proceedings of the current matter in court.

The matter is fixed for 25^th October 2012 for further hearing before Justice Adamu Bello.

The question is, with the new twist to the matter, what are the likely options available to the nation. What happened to the peace moves we were made to believe has yielded result recently? Did the peace jumped out of the windows or what? We are waiting and watching.

The business of making money from Hon Gaiya

I insist and will repeat the fact that every Nigerian has an unalloyed space to be who they want to be. It is within these precincts that they must be respected and honoured as persons in their own rights irrespective of their place in the society or in life, rich or poor.

Like I had said in my previous writings on Hon. Godfrey Gaiya since the reports concerning him from the London 2012 Olympics had broken off here, as an individual, he is highly respected and deserves all the honour beyond his being a law-maker.

That is where this junction stops. Where my cross starts I had earlier stated. I also wish to state categorically that, I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING PERSONAL AGAINST HIM. I am also aware that some people had been making good money from him citing they have so many details and knowledge of my person.  Let them sue.

Someone, he used to work with a hydra-headed type of media organisation with an international reach, had been begging to fix a peace meeting between me and the Hon member. I had told him, I am not privy to such meetings because the issues I raised are not personal.

This afternoon, he called and was begging to have the meeting because “the Hon is thinking of suing the hotel (Marriot in London) and you out of existence.” I laughed.

My reply: “I wish the Hon a safe trip to and from London. When he returns from London we shall meet in the Fair Lady’s chamber of truth and justice.

One hopes these “Gentlemen of the Press” who have no hope of a stable or regular salary will get some more worthwhile sources of making money than exploiting the many levels of crisis in the sport. It is sad that sports journalism has become a merchantilist product to feed some lazy bones and intellectually deficient persons who ordinarily should not qualify to practise journalism if things work well.

NSC-NFF: The conspiracy of confusion

 I had since some days been pondering and trying to understand what politics or game is going on between the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Why I am not shocked is obvious.

In my last story on how the NFF board has perfected its plans to perpetuate itself for another four years, one of the anointed fellars said, “we have the government behind us firmly.” Now, I can understand the link.

See the two letter attached. The NSC directed the Nigeria Football Association to suspend the Nigeria Premier League (NPL). This is in order given the circumstances on ground. What they forgot to do was to sweep away the board of the NPL.

The first error is, the letter was addressed to the NFA and not the NFF. The writer of the letter must have been mischievous or what? The reference letter is NSC/FEAD/NFF/GM/020/CON/97. What a grand confusion. The addressee and the reference does not tally.

When the letter was received, it was received by a person unknown to the letter, the NFF. See the acknowledgement stamp.

Going through paragraph 3 of the said letter. By interpretation, the NFA was to resolve the issues identified within one month and report to the NSC. Yet, we read in the papers yesterday that the Minister is setting up a committee to do what he directed the NFA (which in reality does not exist on the ground) to do.  That which exist on ground, the NFF, is not only illegal but is not in the picture of that letter.

The path to perdition is Nigerian football

NFF President, Aminu Maigari gets automatic 2nd term?

*Maigari to get automatic second term

*State FA to be bribed with N5m development fund

There was a time I described this set of officials of the illegal Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as Bourbons. You may want to ask who who are the Bourbons. It’s a tribe in old France that are reputed never learnt anything from history and never forgot anything to history.

JUSTIFICATION: Many of them on this board of the Nigerians Feeding on Football (NFF) were part of the charade of the Makurdi Congress of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) where they decided to change the name without following laid down football statute change procedures. That was the foundation of the crisis that has engulfed the game till date.

The goons are at the junction where it is certain that they never learnt from the mistakes of their predecessors. I can reveal that these folks have concluded plans to ensure that the current board returns unopposed by closing the democratic space (as if there was any in the first place) against “outsiders”.

They have fixed their Congress for November. They have amassed so much cash to streamline the Congress to approve their skewed electoral guideline to make anyone who has not served for four years in any football capacity to be eligible to contest for ay office.

Unconfirmed sources confided that each state FA has been slated to take N5m in the name of football development fund to make them deliver their vote for the project which is meant to guarantee that the Aminu Maigari board returns back to the Glass House.

Meanwhile, the sweet part is that the same people have sold out a dummy to the Federal Government that all is now well with the house of football. They forgot to tell the government that there are still matters in court. However, there is an extant matter in court that has sued four key government personages in a matter where the Attorney General’s counsel shot the NFF in the feet claiming that the NFF does not exist in law, that they do not have a secretariat nor a secretary general. As it is, the judge has one route to tread, rule in favour of the law. 

A voice from within the inner sanctuary of the group claimed that the Executive and Legislative arms of government is very much in support of the current administration of football in the country.

Like I promised sometimes ago, I will siddon look. This road will lead to nowhere. It is a cul-de-sac. I hope time will prove me wrong. Rather than always prove me wrong, time has always made me look like a prophet whose words it had implemented.

Presidential largesse: Paralympians shortchanged by NSC officials (Part II)

God will always prosper the hands of the diligent and just...And deliver judgment to the wicked, who refuse to turn away from evil...

Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi...reversed the arrangement?

I have only quoted the scripture. How many of us in our freedom can say amen to this prayer? My phone suffered injustice with calls, SMS, and text messages. Very few are angry with me that I did the report on the fleecing of the paralympians while many prayed and wished me well. I am used to all these.

However, the words of caution guided me. I got to the National Sports Commission (NSC) where I was told what had transpired. There are some other accompanying officials that followed the contingent to the Games. Who prepared the administrative and other tasks behind the scene.

Normally, they are not listed in official circles as members of the team to be compensated. However, it is trite practise in sports for such monies to be re-calculated to give the unseen hands that makes the team’s successes work.

Where I gathered the error came in was the main actors were not put in the picture. Secondly, no one in his right senses will ever trust an NSC structure (as it is today), as it has always been (at least, I know since 1979 to date) or possibly in the nearest future.

Anyhow, I gathered that the Hon. Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, who was not aware of the arrangement, moved instantly and reversed the situation to make the orders of the President stand firmly on its terrain.

When will the NOC be a responsible organization?

NOC President, Sani Ndanusa

They got millions of Naira from some corporate sponsors. They got N50m from the NSC and asked for another N15m. they also got $100,000 from the international Olympic Committee (IOC). These sums were during this London 2012 period.

Did the religious books not command that we should not let the sweat of labourers dry before they are paid their dues? Staffers of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) like others deserve their pay at the end of every month. These folks were owed four months salaries and allowances.

When I exposed how the $100,000 was ‘stolen’ I stated that they were not paid. Suddenly, the staffers were paid two of the three months salaries with a proviso that the unpaid two months must not get to “those hungry journalists”.

While I am not contending if or whether because journalists expose them makes them hungry, I also know that many of those in the NOC board are not gainfully employed or employable. They live and survive on what comes from the NOC. They should pay the balance of three months (as September will join the queue in a matter of days).

If the workers are paid regularly who wants to ask questions? If the hungry and idea-barren NOC chiefs do what is needful and right, no one will look to their pot of stew to know whether it is pepperish or not.  

Presidential largesse: Paralympians shortchanged by NSC officials

Sports minister...probe and declare the truth

When it comes to corruption in Nigerian sports, stranger-than-fiction things do happen here.

You wonder why some people (if this is true) would so cynically criminalise the self against a Presidential directive given in the glare of klieglights before the entire world.

Please can someone ask, how did the reported deductions undertaken on behalf of the athletes and team members (with or without their consent) was delivered? Is this a case of desperation, also festered by greed?

His cash deducted without his consent?

From whichever way one looks at this new paralympic controversy, what one sees is how greed is fast becoming a way of life in our sports industry. It is sad that we are increasingly building a society where many believe it is right and normal to make wealth without work. Everybody wants to buy a private house and the most exotic cars without sweat. There are government officials who would abuse public trust without compunction; With so many people likely to be on the take, it is no wonder that the world looks at Nigeria as the global headquarters of 419.

Yet, majority of Nigerians are actually decent, hard working people who are being negatively stigmatised by a notorious minority that has taken over the critical institutions of state and who are using same to give us a bad name on virtually all fronts.

This is where Minister Bolaji Abdullahi must rise now and give us a clear case of the latest controversial scandal planted in his ministry. 

This is the report unedited as published:

Crisis looms between the country’s athletes to the recently concluded London 2012 Paralympic games and the officials of the National Sports Commission (NSC) over the Federal Government largesse as the athletes are set to petition presidency.

The President, Jonathan Ebele Goodluck, had announced monetary awards to the athletes and their officials for making the country proud at the games during the ceremony in their honour penultimate weekend.

Goodluck had announced N5million for gold medalists, N3million for silver, N2.5 for bronze and N500,000 for all athletes that did not win any medal and N2.5million each for all the accompanying officials, coaches, secretaries, medical team members and the loaders.

To the surprise of the athletes they have been short-changed by the NSC officials with only medalists being paid fully.

It was revealed to Sportswriters by some of the officials that they only received N1million when the alert came. A member of the medical team told sportswriters that he got an alert for N1million while the coaches also confirmed the same thing when asked. The 3 loaders according to investigation were paid N500,000 as against N2.5million announced by the president.

The affected officials pleaded not to be mentioned so as not to be dealt with but have all resolved to petition the presidency over this ugly trend wondering why the president should ask them to be paid some amount and they were paid another.

Meanwhile, some of the federation secretaries kept sealed lips over this development when contacted but the other officials even showed the alert to sportswriters.

“We have resolved to petition the Presidency over this development because this really took us by surprise, when the statement made at the ceremony and only for us to get alert (Tuesday and Wednesday) for another payment, we only need to know why or maybe the president has changed his mind without telling us”, the officials said while chatting with sportswriters Thursday.

Why Bolaji Abdullahi hates Scrabble, Chess revealed!

*World’s highest event holds in Uyo again

*Two world champions on board

To an average Scrabble player in Nigeria, Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi does not like anything that represents intellection and thus, hates Chess and Scrabble.

Abdullahi explaining things in cerebral fashion

A friend of mine who is a leading player of the game while speaking on his exploits in England expressed such level of distrust for the Minister. Here I am, at the least, I know him sufficiently well that he is a deep reader of books. It was his tenure as Commissioner for Education in Kwara that Mrs. Toyin Saraki identified with Scrabble for school children.

My friend is of the opinion that the Minister represents the sentiments at National Sports Commission (NSC) which has not for once sent a senior official to the Godswill Akpabio International Scrabble Classics will be held in Uyo every year.

This is the sixth edition holding from the 27th to 30th September 2012. The event incidentally is the highest paying Scrabble event (in sum total of prize monies across categories) worldwide.

The last edition of the Classics was won by Mr Sammy Okosagah, a Nigerian International Scrabble Master based in the U.K. He took home the sum of $10,000 for his efforts. The event is in 4 (four) categories (divisions): Masters, Intermediate, Open and Veterans categories.

Two-time World Champion, Nigel Richards of New Zealand and former world champion, Pakorn Nemitrmansuk of Thailand are among the top players expected to compete at this year’s event. Pakorn Nemitramansuk participated in the 2010 edition and came fourth.

See the passion in Scrabble tearing mother and child apart?

Without prejudice, this is the best Federation amongst the 39 in the NSC in terms of the total prize monies at stake yearly and the total number of championships per annum which is in excess of 120. In terms of continental results, no sport has delivered the number or quality of continental championship wins like Scrabble.

So, how can the Minister know this and not identify with the very best of his children?

…Chess has an Olympic Gold, silver too

Nigeria’s quality performance at the recently concluded 40th World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey has added another feather to the Goodluck Jonathan administration whose medal profile took a skew out with the London 2012 Olympics.

Paralympians seems to have opened the floodgate of high networth sports returns. The U-20 women national team came fourth in the world championships. In days, the Team Nigeria Chess team turned in another.

The team for the first time in the history of Nigeria’s participation at the biennial event came top in category E in the men’s event while the ladies were second behind Chinese Taipei at the 11 round Swiss-event paring with 161 countries in attendance.

Since 1998 when Odion Aikhoje won gold medal, this is the first time Nigeria’s name would be called at the closing ceremony for its players to mount the podium to receive honour. Nigeria male team were the only African team that came top in the competition.

It is only fair and good that President Goodluck Jonathan whose administration seems to have hit sports medals suddenly should host and reward these chaps for a good job.

If this does not happen, it will be sad and difficult to think the government is not only discriminatory and unappreciative. Had football returned such, the entire team would have been hosted by a million agencies who would have chartered a million planes to meet them from Istanbul.

Gov. Fashola’s All Stars, MTN in Street Soccer scam

Why would people work so hard and get the results but are denied the fruits of their labour? This is the fate of the members of the All Stars team of Lagos which has Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos as member.

The team which came to Abuja for the annual All Stars parade of skills had an impressive outing. They abandoned the gala night in Abuja to appear in the Lagos final the following day. They came second but their prizes were made to belong to the club and not the players.

A week before the final of the tournament, some senior members of the All Stars FC snatched the meat pie meant for the players, took it to their club house because that also belonged to the club!

MTN had announced what they tagged as “ Life-enriching prizes” claiming that “the prizes for the winners of the MTN Lagos Street Soccer Championship are not just meant to be enjoyed, but also to serve as wonderful springboards for these promising talents to further their career and actualise their dreams.

1st prize-N5million plus all expense paid to trip to Dubai

2nd prize-N3million plus all expense paid a trip to South Africa

3rd prize-N2million plus all expense paid a trip to Gambia

4th prize-N1million

MTN’s team won the final 1-0 beating All Stars of Lagos. The MTN got their prizes and the Lagos SWAN that got the third position got their home theatre in the public glare. 

A proud nation honours its own youths

Sports brought smiles for once to this presidential face again

For once I feel so proud being a Nigerian. I now recall when one of the paralympians who heard my FRCN Radio Link prediction that they would return with five gold medals but that the able bodied will return empty handed, he called me saying amen to the prayers. I tried making him understand, its not prayers but a scientific analysis of what is at stake.

On the eve of the opening ceremony of the paralympic games, he sent me an e-mail having gotten it the first time we spoke writing: “God had denied the able bodied medals of any colour for our own sake”. With hindsight, this is true.

These set of medals are the very first in any sport since the advent of this government. Falconets came fourth. The same week, Nigeria got a gold and silver in the Chess Olympiad. We have never had it this well.

These events have proven my analysis that there are only three sports federations in the country: Scrabble, Chess and Basketball. Scrabble has been dominating Africa and have the highest number of championships played per annum than any sports federations.

When President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan announced the value of the cash rewards for members of Nigeria's team to the Paralympics Games in London as well as the country's Under-20 female football team, the Falconets, who came fourth in the just held World Cup in Japan, I did not believe my eyes. Despite that a senior government official had squealed it some three hours before it was announced publicly.

President Jonathan announced the cash gifts at a well deserved reception for the paralympians and footballers.

Each member of the Under-20 female football team got N1 million while their coaches and handlers got N1.2 million each.

For the paralympians, those who won Gold medals got N5 million each while Silver medalists were awarded N3 million.

Bronze medalists have been govern N2 million each while those who did not win medals got N500,000 each.

Jonathan commended the athletes, adding: “You have done well and we are indeed grateful.”

He urged the officials to work towards restoring "the glorious days of our sports”

My only question is, how do we all translate this success to a higher realm and give hope and room for personal satisfaction for every paralympic or intending disabled athlete?